The Search Is On
by Pearl J
Summary: Dr. Spencer Reid has a daughter named Sarah Jose Reid. I don't own Criminal Minds.
1. Chapter 1

**The Search Is On**

Sarah Jose Reid sat on the window seat in the living room, her nose in a book about the laws of the United States of America. She often visited her grandmother at the old folk's home and when she was a child, her grandmother told her about a man named Spencer Reid. Spencer was her father. Her mother was a famous actress.

Grandma Reid had passed away one year ago at ninety years old. Mrs. Reid had died in a car accident two months ago. Sarah worked a part time job at Starbucks and tended to her online classes at night. She barely slept, but she knew she had to do whatever it took to keep the house she was raised in by her grandmother and grandfather. Despite some awful memories of when her grandfather verbally and physically abused her and the memory of witnessing him being arrested, she couldn't let go of the home.

Sarah was the name her mother and father had given her. They thought it up together. Sarah was a lovely name for a girl and Peter was a lovely name for a boy. Her mother read the Bible and loved the names Sarah and Peter. Her father never even so much as opened a Bible until he had met her mother.

Jose was a neat middle name and her mother had sweetly begged for that to be her middle name. Reid wanted her middle name to be Jo. He had thought it to be a cooler middle name.

Her mother and father were very busy. They had wanted to spend time with her, but no matter how hard they had tried or how many times they had tried, it was useless to take time off. Grandma Reid had graciously offered to take care of her. It was either that or adoption and her mother and father and grandmother had wanted to keep her. Her grandfather had wanted her to be adopted.

Sarah lived alone. It would often be too quiet and lonely and she would have to go for a walk, get out and talk to some people.

Sarah's goal was to find her father and join the Behavioral Analysis Unit. All she really knew so far was that he may be working within the city of Washington D.C. The city was huge and she didn't know where to begin.

Sarah shut the book, placed it neatly in her lap and stared outside the window, piercing blue eyes meeting the sky. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, clasped her hands together and whispered, "Please, God, allow me to come to know my father better and grow closer to him."

As if answering her prayer, the wind stirred the blades of grass, the lovely garden of flowers and the leaves in the trees. She opened her eyes and gasped as a smile spread along her lips and her cheeks flushed with excitement and awe. "Oh, wow!" _This is such a wonderful sight!_

She placed the book aside, stood and adjusted her white skirt and long-sleeved white shirt. She approached the door, sitting down on the small rug and pulling on her black boots. She zipped up her boots, stood, reached for the doorknob, turned it and pulled the door open. She exited the house and shut the door behind her.

She reached inside her right skirt pocket and pulled out a fully charged cell phone. Within five minutes of turning on her cell phone, it buzzed and four text messages popped up on the screen.

The first text message said: 'Hello. How are you, baby girl?' The second text message said: 'I miss you, baby girl. I love you.' The third text message said: 'I'll talk to you later.' The fourth text message said: 'I love you.'

Sarah recognized the phone number as her ex-boyfriend's cell phone and she squeezed the phone in her hands and clenched her teeth. "I swear this guy must be talking to himself." _He's trying to make me jealous._

She replied to the first text message with: 'Jeez, you're so immature.' With that, she turned off her cell phone with the urge to toss it to the ground and leave it there. That's just how aggravated she felt towards her ex-boyfriend. It wasn't out of jealously. It was because he refused to leave her alone. All he ever did was talk tough guy talk if she would even so much as ask a simple question about his current girlfriend. _It's as if he protects whichever girl he's with and gets all tough guy on whichever girl he's not with. _She sighed and rolled her eyes, mocking her ex-boyfriend. "Oh look, Sarah! I've got a new girlfriend and she's not you!" She was so fed up with him that she didn't realize until afterwards that she had raised her voice in public. "GRRRARRR! Alright already! I get it! Enough is enough!"

When she realized she had raised her voice in public, she moved her head to her right and then to her left, her eyes darting about. Her nose and cheeks blushed crimson with embarrassment.

Slowly blinking, she sighed. _Okay, whatever. Just keep walking._


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah felt herself get the jitters as she approached a governmental building. For a moment, she considered not going inside.

A voice came from behind her. "Hello there, Miss. Are you lost by any chance?"

Startled, she whirled around. For a moment, all she could do was stare at him with wide eyes as she took in his golden blonde hair, chocolate brown eyes and clear, tanned skin. The guy who stood before her was tall, thin and built muscular. _Oh my! _Her heart fluttered and she could feel her face heat up. Embarrassed and self-consciously guilty for her reaction, she cleared her throat. "Excuse my rudeness. I didn't mean to stare. I'm Sarah Reid. Does Spencer Reid work here? He's my father."

The young man smiled and chuckled. "Ah, don't worry about it. My name's Landon Garcia. Mr. Reid does in fact work here. Would you like me to escort you to him?"

She nodded. "Please."

He gestured towards the building behind her. "Right this way."

She followed him into the building. Sweat slid along her palms and she hurriedly wiped them along the sides of her skirt. Her heart pounded and she trembled. Her surroundings wobbled and sparkles invaded her vision. She breathed heavily.

Landon noticed how nervous she was and started a conversation to ease the tension. "Wow. Mr. Reid is your father?"

"Yeah," she replied.

He responded with excitement. "Oh, just wait until you see who my parents are! They work on the same team as your father."

Sarah practically bounced around like a happy rabbit. "Really?"

Her reaction amused Landon. "Here we are." He reached for the door in front of them, grabbed the handle and pulled it open.

Spencer turned around just in time to witness his only child right there in front of him. He stared at her with wide eyes and his mouth dropped. The papers in his hands slid to his feet.

Sarah smiled and laughed at her father's priceless reaction. She gave him the peace sign, sticking her tongue out and winking. "Hi-ya, dad."

He stuttered. "Hu-wh-what are you doing here?"

She walked up to him, lowered herself to the floor and grabbed the papers scattered at his feet, neatly positioning them all in one direction and stacking them one on top the other. "Come on now, dad. Get your act together," she teased him, placing the papers on the table beside her father.

Spencer looked from his daughter to Landon. "Do you have anything at all to do with this?"

"That makes not a lick of sense seeing as I just met her…like…oh, I don't know…a few minutes ago?"

"Alright fine then, smarty pants. Just for that comment, you can tend to my paper work as well as yours."

He groaned in complaint. "Man, would you give me a break?"

He spoke to Landon like a father speaking to his son. "Oh, I'll give you a break alright. Get started."

Reluctantly, he gave in, grumbling all the way to the spot where paper work piled up on a table.

Spencer called to him, "I don't want to hear any complaints out of you, Landon!"

Landon kicked at the leg of the table nearest him. "Shut up, old man!"

Spencer sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his right and left temple with his fingertips. _Penelope, your son is such a headache._

Sarah covered her lips with her hands and tried to stifle her laughter.

Her father gave her an affectionate look. "He is a handful, you know."

She shook her head. "I can tell."

"I have to keep him on a tight leash. How he passed the psychological exams, I don't know."

Landon called to Spencer, "I can hear you!"

Spencer called back to him, "It's not nice to eavesdrop! Didn't Penelope and Morgan ever teach you that?"


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah shuffled through the papers on the desk beside her father. "So…what're you working on? Do you need a hand?"

He snatched the papers from her. "Keep your hands off things! That's classified information!" _She's got such sticky fingers. _

She gave him a smug look, licking at the paper cut on her right index finger. "Oh, is it now?" _This is where I play my Ace card._

He sighed and slapped his forehead with the palm of his right hand. "You're such a hardhead."

"I've been studying criminal justice, you know." _I bet he had no idea._

"Still, that doesn't mean you can automatically work at this level. You have to have experience and you have to pass exams. This isn't a playground. This is serious business and one wrong move and you or someone else could die."

She stared at him with determination in her eyes. "I'm ready to put my life on the line, dad. Please, I'm begging you; let me work with you and your team."

Spencer slouched, sighing. "How can I reject those piercing blue eyes?" _Oh, I cannot believe how easily I crumble!_

She replied enthusiastically, "Really? You mean it?"

He pointed his right index finger at her. "You absolutely must abide by my rules as well as the rules of your upperclassmen. No backtalk, do you understand?"

She nodded.

He motioned towards the table where Landon sat drowning in a sea of paperwork. "Good, now go and help Landon with the paperwork."

Sarah rushed in Landon's direction, happy to be a part of the team and excited over what adventures were in store for her. She pulled out a chair beside Landon to the right, sat down and pushed herself closer to the table. She reached for the manila folder nearest her, grabbed it and placed it right smack dab in front of her.

Upon opening the folder, she noticed a picture of a man in his mid-thirties. The picture was paper clipped to a small package of papers. She read half-way through the profile, then, went back and read that much a second time. "Hmmm…"

Landon heard her and looked up from the profile in front of him. "Did you find something?"

"I think I did." She handed the profile to him, pointing at a line of words on the first page. "Here. Take a look."

Landon read the words Sarah had pointed to. His face turned several shades of white and he stood, tripping over the chair, but steadying himself. "Oh my gosh! Reid!"

Spencer rushed towards Landon and Sarah.

Landon handed the profile to him. "Look what we found!"

He read the profile, then, looked up at him, somewhat shocked. "I guess Jack the Ripper lives on. Though he may really be a she this time."

Sarah told her father, "Jack the Ripper, also known as James Kelly, was a patient who escaped an asylum. He had the exact profile of a serial killer. Serial killers are often mentally unstable. Jack the Ripper died a long time ago. This has to be someone following in his footsteps. A woman."

Spencer was amazed by her level of thinking, but he raised his eyebrows at her with one question. "Hold on. How do you know it's a woman?"

Sarah pointed at the picture. "Look closely at the picture of this supposed man in his mid-thirties. Doesn't this look like a transgender to you? Didn't I just say that serial killers are often mentally unstable?"

"Yeah, but Sara, just because someone is transgender doesn't mean that person is a serial killer."

Frustrated with her father, she clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white and she stomped her feet. "No! That's not what I'm getting at!" She realized she was out of line and her voice softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It's just frustrating for me to try and explain where I'm going with this."

"Are you sure you're cut out for this line of work?"

She glared at Landon. "Don't insult me!"

Penelope swung the door between the main office and the computer room. The door hit the wall as she walked through the doorway and into the room. "ENOUGH!" _I could hear them loud and clear from inside the computer room!_

Spencer looked more relieved than scared. "Thank-you, Penelope."

She approached Landon, took him by the hand and drug him into the computer room. As soon as she shut the door, she pointed in the direction of a computer chair and told him, "Stay here and make yourself useful by researching the recent Jack the Ripper case."

Landon groaned in complaint. "Awww…mom!"

Penelope sat down in her computer chair. "No backtalk!"


	4. Chapter 4

The private jet took off, on its way to New York City.

Sarah excitedly stared out the window. "Oh, wow! New York City! I've always wanted to go there! Oh, I can't wait to go to a café and eat green tea chocolate cupcakes!"

Her father cleared his throat.

Her excitement faded. "Oh, right. Sorry."

A smile spread along his lips. "We'll see how things go. If we've got some time left, we'll explore the city."

Her excitement returned and she pumped the air with her fists. "Alright!"

"I said we would see. I didn't say we were actually going."

She laughed. "Still, that's pretty close to a 'Yes, we're going.'"

Landon groaned. "Please, take it down a notch, Sarah. I've got a headache."

The private jet landed and the team unloaded.

Spencer took his daughter by the hand. "Don't go wandering off."

Landon, the last one to step out of the private jet, silently followed Sarah and Spencer. His face pale, he breathed heavily and wobbled in his walk. He coughed and pain ripped at his throat. _I have to stop. I have to stop now. _He slowed to a stop and choked out, "Mr. Reid." His head spun and stars crossed his vision. He felt fatigued. Everything blurred and black threatened to cover his surroundings.

Sarah and Spencer stopped and turned around just in time to see Landon collapse. Sarah let go of her father's hand and rushed to Landon's side. "Landon!"

Landon stared up at her with heavy eyelids. "Sorry." His eyelids closed and his surroundings went dark as he sank deep into pitch black darkness. It was a comfort because it was numb and heavy.

Tears gathered in Sarah's eyes and she called his name. "Landon! Landon! Please, wake up! Please!" Warm, salty water rolled along her cheeks and dripped from her chin.

Landon heard muffled beeps. The beeps got louder and louder as he gradually came to. He opened his eyes the tiniest bit and groaned.

Sarah practically threw herself on top of Landon. "Oh, Landon! I was so worried!"

He instantly recognized the voice and his eyes shot wide open. Feeling the merciless throb of his head, he grimaced.

Sarah stared at him with concern. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

Landon stared up at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "You need to take better care of yourself."

She reached into her right skirt pocket, pulled out her cell phone, slid it out as to where it revealed a keyboard and went to the contacts list where she had plugged in Penelope's number. She dialed the number.

Penelope answered the phone on the second ring. "Is Landon all right?"

"He's awake. Would you like to talk to him?"

"Please, put him on the phone."

"Alright. Hold on." She handed the phone to Landon.

Landon gave her a suspicious look and whispered, "Wait. You did not do what I think you did."

She grinned. "If you think I peeked at your cell phone and got your mother's number, you're 100% percent correct. You get and an A+."

He took the phone from her and pointed his right index finger in her direction, whispering, "One of these days. Just you wait." He spoke into the phone. "Hey, mom."

Penelope answered him with a question. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I have to go."

"Okay. Just be careful."

"Don't worry. Bye, mom."

"Bye."

He pressed the end call button twice.

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's finish our conversation, shall we? What was that you were saying? You'll pull a fast one on your teacher's daughter?"

"You bet!"

"What? Playing sick? Cheating?"

"Lame."

They laughed.


End file.
